The scenic Frenchtown Historic site brings together many threads of the history of the Walla Walla valley. It lies within the homeland of the Walla Walla and Cayuse Tribes. French-Canadian voyageurs associated with the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post at Fort Nez Perces settled here with their Métis families beginning in 1823. In 1855, this area was also the site of the Battle of Walla Walla, fought between Oregon Mounted Volunteers and members of the Walla Walla, Cayuse, Palouse and Yakama tribes. Points of interest at the site include the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Cemetery and the recently restored “Prince’s cabin”, believed to be the oldest example of French-Canadian construction in Washington state. Interpretive signage provides family histories and burial records as well as information on the Oregon trail, the fur trade, the interactions between local tribes and settlers, and more.

Maintenance and development of the site is made possible by membership and contributions to the Frenchtown Historical Foundation, a as well as the volunteer efforts of local historians and descendants of the original families.